Thirty young people and policy makers from the entire Western Balkans presented the outcomes and recommendations that have emerged from their diligent efforts to address youth mental health in their economies at the Final Conference on Youth Mental Health, organised by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)’s EU-funded Western Balkans Youth Lab Project (WBYL), in Belgrade on 21 June.

Following development of 13 regional recommendations and work organised within the Working Groups, representatives of each Western Balkan economy presented their work done so far. Youth Component of economy-wide Mental Health Action Plan 2023 and Assessment of Youth Mental Health services have been done in Albania; a Framework for development and implementation of promotional and preventive activities in the area of Mental Health intended for young people aged 14 to 18 was created in Bosnia and Herzegovina; Administrative Instruction Amendment on Mental Health was developed in Kosovo*; economy-wide Programme for Youth Mental Health and Guideline for Youth Workers was developed in Montenegro;  economy-wide Youth Mental Health Strategy was drafted in North Macedonia, and Coordination Body for Youth Mental Health was established within the Ministry of Health.

The Conference served as a platform for sharing and showcasing diverse activities taken by Working Groups from the region, as well as presenting the outcomes and recommendations that have emerged from their diligent efforts to address youth mental health in their economies. Besides Mr Markovic, the event was opened by Mr Martin Klaucke, Head of Operations – Section II, Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, Ms Ivana Antonijevic, Assistant Minister, Ministry of Tourism and Youth of Serbia, Dr Ledia Lazeri, Mental Health Regional Adviser at World Health Organisation, and Ms Andreea Scrioșteanu,  European Youth Forum Board Member.